Retail: It’s the common happy place for almost all women. With 1 out of every 10 Americans having some form of job in the retail sector you would think it’s a job for everyone, but that’s where you are wrong. I have worked in retail for about two years now and I can’t truthfully say it’s been easy. However, if you are looking for a possible summer job and get offered a retail job, don’t turn it down. The Gap has taught me a few life lessons that have made it all worthwhile and here they are:
Self Control: If you’re looking into working in retail just know now that your paycheck might as well just be given to you in gift cards. Every time a new line comes into the store it is like a mini Christmas and don’t even get me started on storewide sales. Oh, and then on top of these sales you will receive your employee discount. The day my card came in the mail I sang the golden ticket song from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory during my whole shift. To this day I will pull it out at parties to try and make friends; that is just how cool you will soon realize your employee discount is. But ladies this is where the life lesson comes in, you need to use self-control. There comes a point when you realize you are not making any money and you are also out of hangers in your closet. You have to learn to limit your spending, whether it’s through only letting yourself buy one thing a week, or having a monetary limit. You employee discount is fire ladies; do not let it burn you.
Patience is a virtue: The ago old saying “The customer is always right” doesn’t always hold true in retail. While it is an acquired skill to be able to smile and nod through just about any complaint, sometimes you do have to say no. For example when a customer is returning an obviously worn shirt it is always against company policy to accept it for a return. They will fight you on it. This is where patience comes in to play. You have to explain everything twice over or more and always have a smile on your face. But if all else fails just call up a manager.
The importance of Sugar-Coating: A lot of people like to say working in retail makes you a great liar, but I prefer to think of it as a great sugar coater. Sugar coating comes into play a lot at work. Whether it’s telling someone that, yes, those jeans do make you look smaller or no, platform flip-flops haven’t gone out of style. One of the biggest times you must sugar coat is when you have to tell a hopeful customer that no, there are no more sizes out back. I don’t know who put the idea in everyone’s heads that the back room at a store has every size, in every article of clothing in stock. If we had a size we would put it out. The backroom is the employee bathroom, a few sizes of jeans we couldn’t shove onto the shelves and the army print cargo pants that no one will (or should) ever buy. I’d say that in my two years at the Gap I’ve probably had a size out back ten times out of the hundreds of times I’ve been asked. Regardless, you must always smile and do your best to sugar coat the answers no one wants to hear.
Lessons in Cleaning and Maintenance: One of my fondest memories at The Gap takes place in the fitting room. Many weird things get left behind here, like used tissues or the occasional phone. But on one warm summer day a middle aged man decided to pee in the fitting room. Keep in mind; we do have a bathroom in the store. Yet this man still decided that the fitting room just seemed like a good place to go. Another common cleaning woe of a sales associate is refolding the piles of uprooted clothing after a busy day at work. By the third week you will be better at folding than a stay at home mom. Cleaning up happens in just about every facet of the store, and I have learned countless cleaning skills from my experience in retail.
There are quite a few more things that retail has taught me in my life. It’s also great to get into if you are looking to work in the fashion or business industry in your future. Start young at a company and make your way up through your college experience. My manager started as a junior in high school and by the time she was a senior in college she became a manager. This looks amazing on a resume and knowing people in a large-scale company will never hurt. I do really love my job, even enough to fight with everyone who says, “isn’t the GAP just those ugly sweatshirts?” I’ve also have gotten to the point where I refer to the store as “we”. If you work in retail you will laugh at your managers for saying that for the first few months and then you too will soon start to become one with the company. Trust me.
Though it has caused me to fear the holidays, I would suggest the industry to anyone looking for a great part time job in college. The application process is easy, you get a hefty discount, and you learn some great life lessons so get to work Wildcats!